Why Localization Can Boost Your SEO

You already know by now that website localization will give you access to new clients around the globe and increase your global sales. But there are other advantages of localization that you may not be aware of. Such as how it can improve your visibility in search engines around the globe. Website localization can boost your SEO, which means you’ll gain more market share and improve your SERP ranking. Want to know how? Let’s take a closer look.

Search is increasingly localThe latest tendencies by Google, Bing, Yahoo and Baidu is to serve up users with content that is locally relevant. This provides an enhanced user experience, as people are no longer forced to see results that are of little use to them. Consider this. An Australian person in Sydney searches for “Indian restaurants.” Being met with page after page of Indian restaurants located in England, the United States or India would be a total waste of time. Therefore, they are now shown local Indian restaurants that they actually have a chance of going to.

If you have a product or service that has every possibility of being useful around the world, but your pages are heavily Americanized, they won’t show up in a local SERP ranking. How can you get around this? By localizing your website for local users around the world. This takes place through a two-fold approach. Through on-page optimization and off-page optimization. If you have a local office and local telephone number your page will appear higher. But, if you don’t have local presence, don’t despair, you can get around this fact.Localization of your landing pages
If you want to take advantage of local SEO, you can create landing pages for your website for different regions. You can convert dates and times into the right local format. Units of measurement and currency, and adjust spellings and vocabulary. You can also tailor your offers to be relevant and optimize your on-page content for local keywords and search terms.
Let’s go back to the example of the Australian for a moment. Whatever the nature of your business, if you want to get noticed locally, you’ll need to know the local lingo. Australians searching for vacation rentals, for example, might not use those very words. They would more likely look for holiday homes to hire instead. You’ll need to know these differences to take advantage of SEO, or risk flying under the radar.Multiple versions for the same language
The same is true when it comes to translating your website into different language versions. A one-size-fits-all Spanish version of your site will need to be adapted as you change from country to country. Customs, culture, tastes and buying preferences vary from Bogota to Barcelona. You’ll need to capitalize on these differences to boost your SEO.
It’s true that translating your website into Spanish for your Spanish speaking audience is a good idea. But it’s only the first step, especially if you’re looking for the local SEO advantage. Remember that climate changes from places to place, vocabulary, internet speeds and expectations. If you fail to captivate your users, your website will experience high bounce rates and low click through, harming SEO.An optimal user experience
When your site visitors are engaged and feel at home in your website, they’ll be far more likely to buy. They’ll interact with your company, ask questions, read your message and it will resonate with them on a local level. When you speak the local language, your sales will improve. When your sales improve and your website gains in traction, your metrics will also follow suit. This will increase your SERP ranking as well as lead to positive reviews. In an age where social proof is increasingly important, positive customer reviews are vital. All these factors will give your SEO the boost you’ve been looking for.
So, if access to global markets, unlimited sales potential and increased brand awareness weren’t incentives enough for you, maybe enhancing your SEO is! At the end of the day, all companies want to improve their user experience and increase conversion. When you localize your website, you’ll do this all around the world — at the same time as getting points from search engines.

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Author Bio
Christina Comben is Content Manager at translation services and localization company, Day Translations. Multilingual and qualified to MBA level, Christina is passionate about writing, traveling and continued education.